Shenmue III is soon to get a trial version, as announced by the official website. This trial is coming to PC via the Epic Games Store in the second half of September, but an official date is yet to be revealed.
The trial version is set in Shenmue III’s opening area of Bailu Village, and the main objective is said to be about an hour long. The site also discloses that the player will be able to keep exploring the village once the objective is complete and that there will be plenty of things to do. Players will also get a PDF play guide with the trial. PC requirements for the game can be found just below the trial info.
Developed by Ys Net and Neilo, Shenmue III is the long-awaited sequel to cult classics Shenmue I and II. The director of the original titles, Yu Suzuki, returns to direct Shenmue III and has been able to do so due to a very successful Kickstarter Campaign. Since then, Ys Net has also received financial support from publisher Deep Silver and other crowdfunding platforms.
If you’re not already aware, Shenmue follows the story of Ryo Hazuki, a student on a quest to avenge his father’s death at the hands of Lan Di. The first two titles released for the Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001 respectively. The games were considered revolutionary for their time, with tons of fully voice-acted characters and detailed environments to explore. Looking back on Shenmue, some parts have definitely aged, but they are still worth checking out even just out of an interest in gaming history.
